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Councilman: Developer took advantage of residents for tax break

A Baltimore City official has accused the developer of a proposed Harbor Point project of taking advantage of disadvantaged residents to get a tax break. George Lettis reports.

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Updated: 8:41 AM EDT Jul 11, 2013

Councilman: Developer took advantage of residents for tax break

A Baltimore City official has accused the developer of a proposed Harbor Point project of taking advantage of disadvantaged residents to get a tax break. George Lettis reports.

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Updated: 8:41 AM EDT Jul 11, 2013

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WEBVTT THAT PERSON LATER DIED AT THE HOSPITAL. OFFICIALS HAVE NOT RELEASED DETAILS ON THE VICTIM'S IDENTITY. COUNCILMAN CARL STOKES HELD A PUBLIC HEARING ABOUT THIS TONIGHT. HE ONCE PAID BACK FOR THOSE RESIDENTS. THE CITY SAYS THE DEVELOPER HAS DONE NOTHING WRONG. GEORGE LETTIS JOINS US LIVE WITH THAT STORY. THIS IS CONCERNING THAT BIG DEVELOPMENT IN HARBOR. . SOME SAY THE DEVELOPER IS TRYING TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF DISADVANTAGED CITY RESIDENTS OF -- THE BIG DEVELOPMENT IN HARBOR POINT. THIS PIECE OF LAND NEXT TO HARBOUR EAST IS SLATED TO BECOME A BIG, NEW DEVELOPMENT CALLED HARBOR POINT. I AM EXCITED ABOUT THE PROJECT. IT IS A ONCE IN A GENERATION PROJECT THAT WILL HELP GROW OUR CITY. THE DEVELOPER PLANS TO GET A ROUGHLY $100 MILLION TAX BREAK FROM THE CITY BECAUSE IT IS NOW WHAT IS PART OF WHAT IS CALLED AN ENTERPRISE TAX ZONE. GIVES TAX BREAKS TO COMPANIES THAT WANT TO BUILD IN AN AREA OF HIGH UNEMPLOYMENT. STOKES HELD A PUBLIC HEARING ON THE RESOLUTION THAT FORCES THE DEVELOPER TO GIVE AT LEAST $15 MILLION OF THE TAX BREAK TO PRESIDENTS PROTECTION NEED TO GO BACK TO YOUR BOSS, BECAUSE HE HAS SOME DEEP POCKETS. YOU NEED TO TALK TO HIM. HE NEEDS TO HAVE SOME KIND OF COMMON SENSE. THE ORDER OF BUSINESS IS TO BUILD UP DOWNTOWN ON THE BACKS OF POOR PEOPLE. ESPECIALLY POOR BLACK PEOPLE. BUT IN A LETTER OPPOSING THE RESOLUTION, THE BALTIMORE DEVELOPMENT CORP. SAID PERKINS HOMES IS AND HAS NEVER BEEN THAT IN THE SAME ENTERPRISE TAX OWN AS HARBOR POINT. IT ISN'T SHAME -- IT IS A SHAME. STOKES DID ASK BEN MCKENZIE ABOUT GETTING THAT MONEY FOR PERKINS HOMES, REGARDLESS OF THE TAX ZONE ISSUE. WOULD CONSIDER WORKING WITH THE DEVELOPER? ABSOLUTELY, WE WOULD WORK WITH ANYBODY INTERESTED IN INVESTING IN THE CITY AND GROWING WITH THE CITY. THEY FEAR IT IS A BAD PRECEDENT TO SET, BECAUSE IT MAY FORCE OTHER DEVELOPERS TO NOT WANT TO DO BUSINESS HERE. MEANTIME, IT APPEARS THIS PARTICULAR RESOLUTION WOULD NOT

Councilman: Developer took advantage of residents for tax break

A Baltimore City official has accused the developer of a proposed Harbor Point project of taking advantage of disadvantaged residents to get a tax break. George Lettis reports.